Funeral is today for Shelton WPCA employee James Convertito

James Convertito

An employee of the Shelton Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) has died in a motorcycle accident in Florida.

James A. Convertito, 49, of Shelton was killed in an accident while riding a motorcycle on U.S. 1 in St. Augustine, Fla., according to news reports. The accident involved a truck and occurred on Thursday night.

Convertito was the head mechanic at the Shelton WPCA treatment plant, where he was a longtime employee.

Services set

The wake will take place Wednesday, March 13 from 3-7 p.m. at Riverview Funeral Home, 390 River Road, Shelton. The funeral will be Thursday, March 14 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church, 424 Coram Ave., Shelton.

‘He knew everyone’

His daughter, Maria, called her dad a kind man who cared about his family, friends and community. “He knew everyone,” she said. “He would give the shirt off his back to anyone.”

Maria said her father was “the smartest man I knew. He knew everything about fixing things — whether electrical, welding, anything.”

The late James Convertito, a longtime Shelton WPCA employee, on his motorcycle.

James Convertito loved to ride his motorcycle, to go boating, and to fish and hunt, according to his daughter. He was looking forward to a spring hunting trip with his son, she said.

He is survived by his wife of 23 years, Kimmy, as well as three children — Erin, 26; Jason, 25, and Maria, 18 — and a grandchild, Jamie, 5.

Handled many duties at the plant

Convertito handled many mechanical and welding duties at the WPCA plant in Shelton. “He had just left to go on vacation,” said a fellow worker, who preferred not to be identified.

The co-worker said Convertito was a Navy veteran. “He was a hard-working guy who always was concerned that things went well at the plant,” the co-worker said.

Mayor Mark Lauretti described Convertito as “a longtime Shelton guy and a good guy. He was well grounded and a good employee.”

Thomas Sym, the city’s sewer administrator, said Convertito’s role was important to ensuring the plant operated smoothly. “His expertise kept the plant going,” Sym said. “It’s a big loss for us.”

Like others, Sym appeared shaken up when learning of Convertito’s passing. “It’s just terrible,” he said.

A man who liked adventure

Heather Robinson, who is engaged to James’ son Jason, said James Convertito was a man who enjoyed adventure and experiencing new things. “He loved trying everything,” Robinson said. “He would go on an adventure in a heartbeat. He had been in the Navy and liked to talk about all the places he’d been.”

She said James Convertito  loved his family, children and friends, and was a fun person to be around. “He liked to laugh, smile and joke,” she said.

Her future father-in-law was planning a trip to Vermont in May with his son — who is her fiancé — to hunt wild boar, partly because it was something he had never done before, Robinson said.